Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card By Sara Saedi Published by Random House Children’s Books Age Range: 14+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat With gumption, Saedi draws from her American-ness and Iranian-ness for a successful depiction of immigrant life in the U.S.: a must-read. —Kirkus Reviews Description At thirteen, bright-eyed, straight-A student Sara Saedi uncovered a terrible family secret: she was breaking the law simply by living in the United States. Only two years old when her parents fled Iran, she didn’t learn of her undocumented status...

Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein By Jennifer Roy, Ali Fadhil Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Age Range: 10+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat …a disturbing but accessible portrait of a civilian child’s perspective on war. —Publishers Weekly Description At the start of 1991, eleven-year-old Ali Fadhil was consumed by his love for soccer, video games, and American television shows. Then, on January 17, Iraq’s dictator Saddam Hussein went to war with thirty-four nations led by the United States. Over the next forty-three days, Ali and his family survived...

The Breadwinner Original book by Deborah Ellis (Graphic novel adapted from feature film) Published by Groundwood Books Age Range: 10+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “A realistic view of the contemporary migrant scene, along with complex truths about race and class.” —Booklist Description This beautiful graphic-novel adaptation of The Breadwinner animated film tells the story of eleven-year-old Parvana who must disguise herself as a boy to support her family during the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan. Parvana lives with her family in one room of a...

Saints & Misfits By S.K. Ali Published by Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Age Range: 14+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “This timely and authentic portrayal is an indisputable purchase in the realistic fiction category.” —School Library Journal Description There are three kinds of people in my world: 1. Saints, those special people moving the world forward. Sometimes you glaze over them. Or, at least, I do. They’re in your face so much, you can’t see them, like how you can’t see your nose. 2. Misfits, people who don’t...

Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh By Uma Krishnaswami Published by Lee & Low Books, Inc. Age Range: 9+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “This historical sports story will appeal to many elementary-aged students and provides a rich basis for a discussion of prejudice and the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs.” —School Library Journal Description Nine-year-old Maria Singh longs to play softball in the first-ever girls’ team forming in Yuba City, California. It’s the spring of 1945, and World War II is dragging on. Miss Newman, Maria’s...